West Boylston, Massachusetts, select board votes to terminate town administrator after Trump flag controversy

By Mary Saladna

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    WEST BOYLSTON, Massachusetts (WCVB) — The town administrator of West Boylston, Massachusetts, was fired Monday after controversy erupted over the removal of a Trump flag at the town’s police station.

In a virtual meeting Monday afternoon, the town’s select board voted 4-1 to remove James Ryan as town administrator.

“I can admit I would have handled things differently if I could go back,” Ryan said.

Ryan said he regrets butting heads with West Boylston police Chief Dennis Minnich, but maintains he had a right to request that the Trump flag be taken down from the police station gym.

He said the two should have worked it out privately.

“While my actions may have caused an unfortunate rift between myself and Chief Minnich, which I think can be repaired, I had no role in having this dispute play out in public,” Ryan said.

Ryan’s attorney, John Clifford, was also present at the meeting and continued to defend his client.

“Certainly, Mr Ryan’s actions triggered the controversy, but it was blown up by your police chief,” Clifford said.

Minnich, who has been out of town on vacation, told NewsCenter 5 last week that he took the Trump flag down when Ryan asked him to.

Minnich said he didn’t know his officers had replaced it with a second flag until Ryan, unbeknownst to the chief, sent a town employee into the police station to check and take photos.

“This was not an appropriate way to look into the issue, especially during your first week as the town administrator. It’s not the way to build relationships,” town counsel Darren Klein said.

The select board debated whether Ryan had lost too much credibility and trust to continue on, and in the end, decided to fire him.

“I’m disappointed that we’re here. I had high hopes for his tenure here in West Boylston,” selectman James Morrisey said.

Clifford released a statement on Ryan’s behalf, which read in part:

“James will be reviewing his options with respect to litigating his termination, but he would like to make it clear that he has no ill feelings toward town employees, volunteer officials, or the citizens of West Boylston. He remains grateful for the short opportunity to serve in West Boylston and wishes the town the best of luck in the future.”

NewsCenter 5 reached out for comment from Minnich but has not yet heard back.

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